Edward Balliol

Edward Balliol (1283-1367) was a pretender to the Scottish throne from 1314 to 1356. With English help, he briefly ruled parts of the country from 1332 to 1336.

Biography
Edward Balliol was the eldest son of John Balliol, the King of Scotland, and Isabella de Warenne. In 1332, England backed Edward's claim to the Scottish throne, and Edward launched an invasion of Scotland. He defeated David II of Scotland's loyalists at Dupplin Moor before being crowned King, but three months later he was forced to flee half-naked to England after being surprised at Annan. He was restored by the English in 1333 following the Battle of Halidon Hill, and he ceded Lothian to King Edward I of England. However, he lacked serious support in Scotland, and he was deposed in 1334, restored in 1335, and finally deposed in 1336. When David returned from exile in France in 1341, all hopes of Balliol claiming the throne were lost, and he surrendered his claim to the throne in 1356 in exchange for an English pension.